Trousers.



F. H. SPRAGUE.

TROUSERS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

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FREDERICK H. SPRAGUE, 0]? ORANGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

TROUSERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

Application filed April 9, 1908. Serial No. 426,078.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. SPRAGUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orange, county of Franklin, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Trousers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like numerals 011 the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to trousers and particularly to the waist band thereof and the manner of adjusting the size of it.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel way of making the waist band of trousers by means of which the size of the waist band can be increased or diminished without causing the trousers to wrinkle or fold at any portion of the waist band.

I will first describe one embodiment of my invention and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a pair of trousers having my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the inside of a portion of the waist band with the facing turned up to better show the construction; Fig. 3 is a section on the line ww, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sec tion on an enlarged scale on the line y3 Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail of one of the tapes.

111 my improved trousers I eliminate entirely the usual buckle on the back seam of the trousers and substitute therefor two adj usting devices, one on each side of the trousers which adjusting devices are located inside of the waist band and therefore cannot be seen on the outside. These adjusting devices are so constructed that when the waist band of the trousers is decreased in size no folds or wrinkles are formed therein.

Trousers are usually made with a band or strip of stifiening material, such as canvas, which is placed around the waist band of the trousers on the inside thereof and which is usually covered by a facing or apron that is sewed to the trousers at the upper edge thereof. In embodying my invention in trousers of this type, said trousers have formed at each side thereof a pocket in the stiffening member, which pockets extend from the hip seams substantially to the back seam, and I place within each pocket a tape or strap which is secured to the stifiening member at the end adjacent the back seam. The other end of each tape or strap extends through an opening in the stiffening member and in the facing at substantially the hip seam, and the trousers are provided on their interior at this point on each side with a buckle for engaging this strap or tape.

Referring now to the drawings wherein this construction is fully shown, the trousers are designated by 3. These trousers are formed with the stiffening strip of canvas or other suitable material which is situated at the top of the waist band and extends around the inside of the trousers, and this stiffening strip is covered by the facing or skirt portion 5 as usual. In one embodiment of my invention this stiffening strip is made in sections, a section or piece 40 extending from the back seam (indicated by the line 39) to each hip seam (indicated by the line 38), and a section 14 extending from each hip seam forwardly to the opening at the front of the trousers. The sections 4L0 between the back seam and the hip seams are made separate from the other pieces 4, and said pieces 40 are each provided with a pocket 8 which extends longitudinally and substantially the full length thereof. These pockets 8 can conveniently be made by making the lengths T0 of double thicknesses and sewing them together along the seams 20 thereby to form the pocket between the seams. Within each pocket is received the tape or strap 9, and the end 10 of each strap adjacent the back seam is sewed to the stiffening member. The straps or tapes extend. beyond the sections or lengths 40 of the stiffening member and out through openings 11 formed in the skirt portion or facing 5. A buckle 12 is sewed or otherwise secured to the interior of the face portion adjacent each opening 11 so that the end of each strap or tape which projects through the opening can be fastened to the buckle. With this construction the size of the waist band of the trousers can be readily reduced by drawing the tapes through the buckles 12, and since said tapes are fastened to the trousers only at their ends near the back seam drawing up of the tapes will cause the waist band of the trousers to be gathered slightly on each side for the full length between each hip seam and the back seam. The fullness ofthe trousers which is taken up by tightening the tapes is dis tributed from one side seam around to the other.

It is usually not necessary to provide for a great amount of adjustment in the sizes of trousers waist bands and my improvement provides for all necessary adjustment without causing any wrinkles or creases to show in the trousers.

My improved adjusting device is entirely concealed with the exception of the buckle and this is located on the interior of the waist band. A pair of trousers embodying my invention has a much neater appearance than the trousers as ordinarily made and can be made to fit the wearer more perfectly than trousers constructed where the fullness is taken up entirely in one place.

It is not necessary to my invention that the pockets for the tapes should be formed in the stiffening strip as an extra strip 60 such as shown in Fig. 5 having the pocket with the tape therein might be incorporated in the trousers by being applied to the exterior of the stiffening strip.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A pair of trousers having a waist band open at the front only and having on the inside thereof at the waist band at each side between the hip seam and the back seam a piece of stiffening material formed with a pocket extending longitudinally of the waist band, a facing 5 secured to the trousers at the upper edge thereof and overlying the strips, said facing being provided with an opening substantially in line with each hip seam of the trousers, a tape or strap situated within the pocket of each strip and secured thereto adjacent the back seam of the trousers, said straps passing through the openings in the facing, and buckles secured to the inner side of the facing in front of the hip seams for engagement with said tapes.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK H. SPRAGUE.

\Vitnesses:

LoUIs C. SMITH, EMILY C. HODGES. 

